Conveyor systems for moving parts or units through a plurality of processing areas are known. It is desirable to achieve maximum throughput in such systems. It is further desirable to process various types of units using the same conveyor system, without an unacceptable reduction in efficiency.
According to the disclosure, a conveyor line process control system is provided that includes a plurality of loading stations having data entry devices and load indicators. Units are loaded onto the conveyor at each station. A pair of sensors produce signals that indicate whether the conveyor is moving forward, backward, or has stopped. The plurality of data entry devices and the sensors are connected to a controller. In one embodiment, operators at each loading station select a unit type on a data entry device corresponding to the units to be loaded at the station. The controller maps the conveyor system into memory, and selects the process control variables corresponding to each loaded unit. The process control variables control processing equipment located in a plurality of processing areas through which the conveyor and the units to be processed travel during use.
The features and advantages of the present invention described above, as well as additional features and advantages, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings.